Pumping unit



Dec. 10, 1929. A, JORDAQ, JR I 1,739,000

PUMPING UNIT Filed March 15. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 'J Erg-1. VM/@gm M H I 5 A TTORNEY.

Dec. 10, 1929 A, JORDAQ, .JR 1,739,000

PUMPING UNIT Filed March 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMPING UNIT Application led March 15, 1928, Serial No. 261,873, and in Brazil January 18, 1928.

4 sure fluid can be located from the scene of operation. .y v

The apparatus is particularly applicable tor deep wells in which 'air lifts are usually M employed for carrying the liquid to the surface. As is well known however, air lift devices have certain limitations which tend to narrow their eld of usefulness. A few of the most outstanding of these disadvantages w are, small capacities, and the necessity of a certain column of water in the well which, dynamically, should not be below a certain percentage, as for instance of the total length., This condition when not attainable gr, owing to insutciency of liquid in the under ground veins, necessitates .increasing the depth of the well to obtain the necessary submergence column. Otherwise the eiliciency of the evacuating device will be very low and E@ the wellnot worth while working.

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lt is well known that the capacit of a well is proportional to the difference o the static, and dynamic heads, and the lower the latter the greater will be the aiiiuX of the subterranean veins. It would be ideal to have the dynamic level-aero, because with that condition the veins would flow with complete efficiency for the capacity of the well. This cannot be obtained with the submergence system for the reason already stated, i. e. that 40% submergence of total depth of elevating pipe is required. It this condition does not exist, the result is that the rising column of liquid is broken and the air escapes out through the top of the tube without doing any work.

These are the conditions that form the most serious draw-backs to the submergence system l or deep wells, asalso in low level wells, shallow reservoirs, rivers or other sources where driven from motors on the surface by a vertical shaft. These devices, however, have met with little success owing to their great weight and the resulting losses of power due to friction.

The objects of the invention are to increase the atllux of the subterranean veins leading to a well, to eti'ect the pumping of liquid from wells with a minimum expenditure of power and to construct a pumping unit of simple and rugged construction capable of prolonged periods of interrupted operation and with a minimum of attention.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention consists of the combination of elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a well showing the invention inserted thereinto,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the pumping unit,

Figure 3 is a transverse view taken through Figure 2 on the line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a transverse view taken through Figure 2 on the line 4 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, i

Figure 5 is a sectional view of adetail taken o n Figure 3 on the line 5-5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 6 is a perspective viewV of a portion of the motor or turbine wheel showing the manner in which the blades are inserted into the wheel,

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of the invention, and

Figure 8 is a'transverse view taken through Figure 7 on the line 8-8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and at first to Figure 1, A designates a well in which is disposed a pumping unit B having a suction pipe C which, as illustrated, may bear -upon the bottom of the well A. The suction pipe C may Abe suitably apertured along its periphery to permit the passage of liquid from the well into the pipe C to be elevated by the pumping unit B to the surface through a discharge pipe D threaded to the upper end of a pump casing E.

Thepumping unit B is adapted to be actuated by pressure fluid, such as compressed air or steam, and such pressure fluid is conveyed from a suitable source of supply (not shown) to the pumping unit B throu h a pipe .F threaded to the casing E. Pre erably a screen G of a suitable type is wrapped around the suction pipe C to overlap the perforations (not shown) for preventing the carr o ing of solid matter entrained in the liquld into the pump. y

The casing B is preferably of cylindrical formation and may be of a diameter to t loosely into the well. Into the lowermost part of the casing E is threaded a head H having an internally threaded flange J to which is threaded the suction pipe C.

Within the casing E is disposed'a sleeve K of somewhat smaller diameter than the interior of the casing E to form an annular P to bear on the end of the fla-nge Q for preventing leakage of pressure fluid from the distributing chamber at this point. The uppermost end of the sleeve K is centralized bv a depending flange S in the casing E which projects into the end of the sleeve K and a packing ring T is interposed between the depending flange S and the cooperating surface of t e sleeve K to prevent leakage of pressure fluid from the annular chamber L into the interior of the casing E.

Disposed coaxially with the pipes C and D and, in the construction shown, thus also coaxially with the casing E is a tube U which .is threaded with its lowermost end into the head H for conveying liquid throu h the casing E to the discharge pipe D. T e liquid is drawn through the pipe C and the tube U by a pump generally designated by V and in this instance comprising a head W which `lies across the uppermostend of the -tube U. The pump is provided with a plurality of radial impellers X, whereby the liquid is drawn through the tube U and is discharged into an annular discharge chamber Y encircling the pump V.

The impellers X are preferably of the open type and the liquid is discharged therefrom in a radial direction into the discharge chamber Y. In order to deflect such liquid from the radial course to a er endicular course and thus direct it into t 1e ischar e pipe D, the outer Wall Z of the discharge cfliamber Y is curved outwardly at the discharge opening of the impellers X as at b. From this outwardly curved portion the Wall develops into an inwardly curved portion thus contracting the outlet opening c of the discharge chamber Y to a cross sectional area substantially the same as that of the interior of the discharge pipe D.

In cross section the discharge chamber Y adually widens from a point adjacent the impellers X to the outlet opening o. This form isobtained by the use of a hood or guide d disposed over the pump V and thus concentrically Within the discharge chalnber Y. The guide d may, if desired, be an integral portion of the casing E.

In the construction shown, the guide d acts as a thrust plate for the pump V and also as a bearing for a shaft e on which the pump V is mounted. The shaft e may be secured to the pump V in any suitable manner, as for instance by screw threads f, and extends axially through the tube U and at its lowermost -end g into a bearing h' in the head I-I.

Preferably formed integrally with the pump V is a turbine wheel j which encircles the tube U and carries in its eriphery the usual blades having integral) trunnions o which may be inserted in suitable apertures p in the wheel j. The trunnions o may be of a length to enable their ends to be slightly peened or riveted across the ends of the apertures p for the purpose of maintaining said blades in the operative position.

The wheel j and the pump V are in this instance connected by a hollow hub g through which the tube U extends. At the juncture of the hub g and the pump V is a lateral flange r having an annular groove s in its uppermost `end to receive an annular depending lange t on the sleeve K for preventing the flow of liquid from the discharge chamber Y into a motor chamber u in the sleeve K wherein the wheel y' is adapted to rotate.

As is customary, the wheel y is located in close proximity to the orifice plate P and pressure fluid for rotating the wheel j and thus also the pump V is conveyed through orifices fv in the orifice plate P. The orifices v may be of any suitable conformation but are preferably of the conical type diverging toward their outlet opening and/are inclined fin the direction in which it is desired to rotate the turbine wheel.

In order to convey the pressure fluid utilized forv rotatin the Wheel j from the motor chamber u a p urality of passages 'w are formed in the upper portion of the sleeve K to open into the discharge chamber Y.

The operation of the device is as follows: After the pumpingl unit, together with the discharge and pressure supply pipes have been installed in the Well, pressure fluid may be supplied to the unit ,through the pipe F. Such pressure fluid will flow through the annular chamber L into the distributing chamber from whence it-will flow through the orifices e against the blades 7c and rotate the wheel y' and the ump V for the purpose of drawing liquid3 from the well A and elevating same through the discharge pipe D. After passing through the blades if: into" the chamber U where it expands, the pres-- sure fluid passes through the passages fw into the discharge chamber Y an thus excludes the liquid from the chamber U. At this vpoint such pressure fluid will intermingle With the fluid discharged from the pump V and,` expanding further in the discharge pipe D, Will augment the force of the pump in elevating tlie liquid through the discharge pipe to the surface. In this way is obtained a rising column of reduced weight depending upon the proportion of the mixture of the volume of water and pressure fluid. Thus with the reduced column of liquid in the well, it is possible to obtain maximum production or capacity by taking full advantage of the hydro-,static load of the subterranean veins which feed the well.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the liquid drawn through 1the pipe C passes through a hollowhub on the exterior of which is formed the turbine wheel y'. The hollow hub' thus forms a passage for the liquid from the suction pipe C into the discharge pipe D.

In the outlet opening of the hollow hub m is a propeller y which is preferably integral with the hub :v for pumping the liquid from the well. The propeller y itself is provided with a hub z having abore 2 through which passes a shaft 3 seated at its uppermost end' 1n a bearing 44 carried by the casing E and its lowermost end in a bearing 5 0f the head H.

The liquid drawn through the suction pipe C and the hub m is discharged into adischarge chamber 6 preferably of cylindrical form. In the dischargechamber 6 the liquid intermingles with pressure fluid issuing from the chamber u in the sleeve K through passage 7 formed in the casing E and opening into the discharge chamber 6.

In practice, the invention has been found to be peculiarly adapted for the purpose described. The pumping unit is of compact and rugged construction and is capable of operating at high efficiency since the loss of pressure during its passage through the turbine wheel j is small, and the pressure fluid discharged therefrom is therefore ca pable of exerting a considerable force on the liquid column in thedischarge pipe D for the purpose of elevating such liquid to the surface. Moreover, the device is of simple construction and is therefore capable of'y prolonged periods of service with a minimum of attention.

I claim:

1. A` pumping unit for wells and the like, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a discharge pipe, a motor chamber in the casing, a fluid actuated rotary motor in the motor chamber, an impeller on the motor for drawing liquid axially through the motor and the casing, and an'annular discharge chamber for the motor and the impeller in which discharge fiuid from the motor chamber and liquid issuin from the impeller in; tei-mingle to reduce t e weight of the liquid during its passage through the 'discharge ipe. l

p 2. A pumping unit for wells and the like, comprising a casing 'adaptgd to be connected to a discharge pipe, a motor chamber in the casin a fluid actuated motor in the motor cham er, an impeller actuated by the motor for vpumping liquid through the discharge pipe, said casing having a discharge chamber encircling the impeller and curved to deflect discharge liquid from a radial course to a course perpendicular to the pump, and passages in the casing for conveying discharge fluid from the motor chamber to the discharge chamber wherein such discharge fluid intermingles with the liquid for elevating the liquid through the discharge pipe.

3. A pumping unit for wells and the like, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a discharge pipe, a'fluid actuated motor in the casing, an impeller above the motor and actuated by the motor for pumping liquid through the discharge pipe, said casing having an annular discharge chamber en circling the impeller and communicating with the discharge pipe, said discharge chamber gradually increasing in area towards its outlet end and being curved to deflect discharge liquid from a radial course to a course perpendicular to the impeller, and passages' in the casing for conveying discharge fluid from the motor to the discharge chamber to aerate the liquid issuing from the impeller and assist the impeller in elevating the liquid through the discharge pipe.

4. A pumping unit for wells and the like, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a discharge pipe, said casing having a passage, a fiuid actuated rotary motor in the casing, an impeller on the motor for pumping liquid through the passage to the discharge line, a shaft extending through the passage to support the motor and the impeller, an I .to a vertical course, said discharge chamber lgradually increasing incross-sectional area toward the discharge pipe,l and passages' in the casing 'conve in dischargeiiiuid from the motor to the y mingle with the liquid therein to reduce the weight of the liquid in the discharge pipe.

5. A pumping. unit for wells and the like, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a discharge pipe, said casing having a passage, a iiuid actuated rotary motor in the casing, an impeller above the motor for pumping liquid through the passage to the discharge line, a shaft extending through the passage to support the motor and thel -impeller, a sleeve 1n the casing and s aced with respect thereto toform a passage or conveying pressure fluid from a sourceto the motor,

specification. r i

` ALFREDO. J ORDAO,` J R.

isc large chamber to'inter- 

